Spiced Butternut Squash Soup & Crusty Brown Rolls with Tarragon Butter

By Lindsey Sherrard

Ingredients

Serves 10

Soup

4 tbsp Olive oil

4 Small leeks, trimmed, washed and roughly chooped

3 Large potatoes, diced

3 Garlic cloves, crushed

2 Good-size butternut squash, peeled. Deseeded and cut into 4cm chunks

2 x 400ml cans coconut milk

3 x Lemongrass

2 x Long red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped

Brown Rolls

10 x Brown crusty rolls

250g Butter

4 tsp Dried tarragon

Squeeze lemon juice

Garnish

Sour cream

Chopped chives

Method

1.    In a large pan, heat the oil with ½ tsp salt, some pepper and chillies. Add the leeks and potatoes, cook for 5 minutes over a medium heat, stirring constantly.

2.    Add the garlic and squash and continue to cook for 10 minutes to give everything a bit of colour.

3.    Add the coconut milk and 1 litre water, or enough to cover the mixture.

4.    Place the lemongrass on a board and crush with a rolling pin or knife, then add to the soup, turn the heat up and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes until the squash is mushy. Remove the lemongrass.

5.    Blend until smooth, a splash of water can be added if too thick and return to a gentle heat.

6.    Beat together the butter, tarragon and lemon juice.

7.    Slash the crusty rolls diagonally 3 times and spread the cut surfaces generously with the tarragon butter. Place on a baking tray and cover with foil.

8.     Warm in the oven at 180*C / 350*F / gas mark 4 for about 10 minutes.

Serve the soup with a swirl of sour cream and chives for garnish.

Both the soup and the rolls can be prepped in advance and then warmed when required.